SOLIDARITY: About 200 gather on Commons to discuss tensions

About 200 people gathered Sunday night to discuss and process the events in Charlottesville, Va., a day earlier.
Matt Weinstein / staff video

The event was put together quickly in the morning following the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.

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About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)Buy Photo

Speakers urged members of the Ithaca community to be more involved and hold each other more accountable as about 200 people gathered Sunday night to discuss and process the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, a day earlier.

Tensions across the county remained high Sunday in the aftermath of a chaotic scene between white nationalists defending a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and opponents protesting white supremacist views that left one woman dead.

"We can't accept this hatred any more but I honestly don't know what can be done," Fran Wilkins, 72, of Ithaca, said before the event. "I really thought we were moving forward as both political sides made great progress on social issues, but in the past eight months everything has turned upside down. We are headed backwards and it's very alarming."

Several members of the community spoke during the event and others held signs, candles and lights in remembrance of Heather Heyer, who was killed Saturday when a car plowed into a crowd of people protesting against the white supremacist Unite the Right rally.

The event in Ithaca lasted for about an hour. A similar event was held earlier in the evening at DeWitt Park.

About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)

Buy Photo

About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)

Buy Photo

About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)

Buy Photo

About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)

Buy Photo

About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)

Buy Photo

About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)

Buy Photo

About 200 people gathered at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons for a Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville community conversation on Sunday night. The event was held for community members to express their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)